Uncharted
by PurpleHedgehogSkies
Summary: Exams are finally over, and an exhausted Jesse is looking forward to another summer in Carmel. Life is good, Suze is beautiful, and there's nothing blocking the road to happiness. Rated M to be safe, but it's more fluffy than lemony.


He had been accustomed to a view of the ocean. Now, in his smallish apartment at the edge of Carmel, all he saw outside his window was the near deserted road. This part of town was easily the least populated; the half-empty status of the building was a testament to that. The lack of noise and movement, however, made it easier for him to hear the crashing waves and crying gulls in the distance, if he listened hard enough.

Right now, he was too exhausted to try. School wasn't particularly difficult for him, considering how well he applied himself and how much knowledge he'd absorbed previously, but finals were tiring. He'd spent countless nights studying, rereading, and avoiding the need to sleep until he shut down completely for an hour before class. Now it was all over, the promise of sultry California summer looming ahead.

Jesse was looking forward to it. He had all the time in the world to enjoy it, now that school was over. Carmel was a beautiful place to live in—and now that he was alive, he could go out and feel the sun's heat on his skin, walk on the beach with the sand between his toes, and drink glass upon glass of cold lemonade. Those things, he hoped, would never get old. Yes, this summer would be enjoyable, just like the one before it and hopefully many become.

"Your air conditioning is moderately dysfunctional," said Suze as she meandered barefoot around the apartment. Upon arrival, she'd thrown her shoes down on the coffee table and cursed their existence—they were new, and they'd given her a blister or two. "I mean, it works, but it's hardly there," she grumbled, leaning over him.

"I hadn't noticed." He was stretched out on the couch, his hands behind his head.

"It's nothing more than this," she said, puffing air through her mouth and onto his face. "_Inadequate_."

"Would you rather it be nonexistent?" he asked her, a lazy smile spreading over his face.

She wrinkled her nose and rounded the couch, gently swatting his legs so he would move them, making room for her to sit. "It used to work."

"And I used to be dead, _querida_," he replied lightly, hauling himself up into a sitting position. "Do not focus so much on what used to be, Susannah. Instead, look at the miles of uncharted road before us."

It was true. Since being brought back to life in a twist of fate, Jesse had nothing to weigh him down. And if something threatened to do so, he merely overlooked it. He'd learned the hard way to live life to the fullest; that it was something that could end at the drop of a hat. Beside him, Susannah smiled and brushed tendrils of dark hair out of her face. When he looked at her, she was so bright and beautiful, and it filled him with pure joy knowing that he was allowed to love her.

He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, cradling her face in his calloused hand. Her fingers flew up to run through his hair as she kissed him back, scooting closer. He let his arm wrap around her waist as he pulled her to him, the sides of their legs pressing together. He drew back, grinning and peppering her face with small kisses. "I love you," he said.

"And I love you, Jesse," she replied, running her hands over his shoulders and down his muscled arms. He grinned wider, softly brushing his mouth over hers again. "Hmm," she murmured, her fingers wrapping themselves in the fabric of his shirt. "I could kiss you forever and not get tired of it."

"Good to know," said Jesse. Susannah smirked, and then started to laugh when he started to lay kisses up her arm, pausing only when he reached the narrow strap on her shoulder. The shirt she wore was lavender and had ruffles down the front, and her darker purple skirt swished around her when she walked—oddly, this was one of Jesse's favorite ensembles of hers, but neither of them was quite sure why. His mouth found hers again, and with one hand, he ran his hand over the ruffles, stopping at her hip and resting his hand there.

Jesse took her other hip and lifted her, turning her slightly so that she sat in his lap. She turned even more, straddling him and stopping his breath with a long, tantalizing kiss.

Suddenly, there was more passion in their kisses—they were more desperate, more demanding. He explored her mouth with his tongue, and moaned when she planted kisses up his jaw line and down his throat. His hand stroked her leg, went up to her hip and under her shirt. The skin of her flat stomach was unbelievably warm under his palm. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pressing their foreheads together as she caught her breath.

"Jesse," she breathed out his name, kissing him again.

"_Querida_," he murmured into her skin, pressing his lips just under her ear and down across her shoulder, his mouth coming in contact with the other strap. He pushed it aside and kissed the soft skin there, delighted by the soft sounds of pleasure that escaped Susannah's lips. If it was possible, he pressed her body closer to his and breathed in the smell of her perfume, hyperaware of every place they touched.

She was his, and he was hers. He couldn't help it, couldn't suppress the wish to see and feel her entirely. Jesse kissed her chin, then the corner of her mouth and the tip of her nose, all while she wrapped her arms around him. He stood up slowly, taking her with him.

"What're you doing?" Susannah asked breathlessly. He kissed her and started walking, while she secured her hold on him to avoid falling. "Don't drop me, I swear to God."

"To drop you, I'd have to let go," he said. "That's not going to happen, Susannah.

Suze laughed and kissed him sloppily. She loved when he said sweet things to her like that, especially while kissing. His voice was husky and rough, and it was music to her ears, undeniably sexy. When he carried her into his bedroom and set her down on the bed, he kept his promise. He didn't let go.

She found the hem of his shirt and tugged upwards, and he helped her take it off. Suze ran her hands down the planes of his chest, a coy smile on her face. She stretched up to press kisses across his shoulder and down his arm, ignoring the salty taste of his sweat. His callused hands skated up and down her body, grazing the bare flesh of her arms and legs, gliding up under her shirt.

"May I?" he asked her, lifting the fabric ever so slightly. She nodded, and Jesse carefully peeled the ruffled top away from her body, letting it fall over the side of the bed and onto the floor. He held himself up with both arms, his eyes taking in the pale flesh of her torso. Beauty marks dotted her stomach and sides, and he was tempted to kiss them all individually—she was beautiful, completely beautiful. He told her so, and she smiled.

"So are you," she replied. He dipped his head to kiss her, his hands exploring her uncovered body. She responded by sliding her hands up and down his back and chest, tracing the lines of his collar-bone and pectoral muscles. His breath caught as she rested her fingers on the waistband of his jeans.

Jesse felt his arousal, and he was sure she could too. He rolled over, hesitant to let go but also hesitant to stay where he was. Susannah clung to him, still kissing him intensely. He was torn—the gentlemanly thing to do would involve stopping, but he found that difficult to imagine. Maybe, for once, he would forget what was proper and gentlemanly, as long as he got to keep holding her, kissing her like this.


End file.
